While there are more electric vehicles on U.S. roads today than two years ago, the number of American drivers who believe EVs are more environmentally friendly than gasoline cars has decreased during the same time.
Research by Ipsos, shared with NPR, revealed that only 58% of U.S. drivers now believe EVs are cleaner, compared to 63% in 2022. This decline comes despite numerous independent studies confirming that electric vehicles are more environmentally friendly.
While EVs aren’t completely clean—given concerns about the source of the electricity that powers them and the environmentally harmful extraction of minerals for their batteries—they still demonstrate a significantly greener profile overall. Despite this, skepticism among American drivers is rising, particularly among those who do not own or plan to purchase EVs. In contrast, current EV owners and serious potential buyers continue to trust in the environmental benefits of electric vehicles.
One reason for the growing skepticism about EVs is the limited media coverage of studies demonstrating their environmental benefits, while research highlighting their negative impacts often receives significant attention and can be misrepresented. For instance, NPR cites a study indicating that EVs produce more toxic tire emissions due to their heavier weight and faster tire wear compared to gasoline vehicles.
The New York Post reported this with the misleading headline, “Electric vehicles release more toxic emissions, are worse for the environment than gas-powered cars: study,” which only focused on tire and brake emissions without considering tailpipe emissions.
On the other hand, some studies have suggested that ICE vehicles, or at least hybrids, can be greener than EVs. The ACEEE GreenerCars report this year named the Toyota Prius Prime SE as the most environmentally friendly car available in America, ranking it above seven EVs. Additionally, last year’s research indicated that while EVs may be greener over their lifespan, they only offset their initial environmental impact after reaching 56,000 miles (90,000 km).
